In this podcast, artist William Rhodes talks about growing up in Baltimore, some similarities between there and San Francisco, moving to the city, the art of the Mission, and establishing his own art experience here.

Williams's show, Threaded Memories, is up at the African American Art and Culture Complex now through Aug. 2. He'll be giving an artist's talk there next Thursday, July 25, at 6 p.m. Through various media, the show celebrates the now-diminishing African American population of San Francisco.

Check back Thursday, when William will talk more about the ongoing exhibition as well as the party that launched it.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

At SF State, Joy Ng's senior thesis covered the history of hip-hop as resistance and using the art form to make something out of nothing. Since graduating, she has run a website of critical essays with the tagline, "Hip Hop x Asian America."

In this podcast, Joy discusses the cultural context that gave rise to hip-hop, the history of the genre, local artist Ruby Ibarra, and her deep dives into Asian-American identity, empowerment, history, and how they intersect with music.

If you missed Part 1, please listen to hear all about Joy's childhood being born and raised in San Francisco.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Joy Ng is a born-and-raised San Franciscan. In this episode, Joy talks about her childhood, in Chinatown, North Beach, and a couple other neighborhoods. She ends with her time at SF State, where she changed her major and got involved in community organizing. A large influence in that shift was Curtis Choy's documentary, The Fall of the I-Hotel.

FoundSF has more info on the story of the International Hotel eviction and demolition.

Join us again Thursday, when Joy will talk about her work as a hip-hop blogger.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

We're not quite sure how Joe Bagale keeps up with all the music he's created or been part of performing or recording. In this podcast, he takes us through his journey after arriving in San Francisco back in 2003. It involves several living situations with in-house studios, his first visit to the Boom Boom Room, a serendipitous date, playing and touring with Mickey Hart, joining Jazz Mafia, and eventually, creating his alter ego—Otis McDonald. Otis's music has been in this podcast since we launched two years ago.

Look for Joe's new record, People Music, coming out this fall.

And if you missed Part 1, please go back and listen to see the unusual way that Joe made the move to San Francisco.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

It's kinda fitting that this is the 80th episode overall for this podcast (49 in Season 1; 31 and counting in this current season, Season 2). Through all but two episodes so far, the intro and outro music has been by the subject of this episode.

Joe Bagale moved to San Francisco from New York State in 2003. In this episode, Joe talks about his life back east, which centered heavily around music. He tells the story of his first band, first show, first time to get paid to play music, and so much more. The podcast ends with Joe's truly unusual premise for moving here.

Check back Thursday, when Joe will pick up where he left off and tell stories of all the musical projects he's been a part of in San Francisco.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

In Part 1 of this podcast, Project Open Hand volunteer Dana Dawson took us through the history of the non-profit and told us all about what it does for the sick and dying of San Francisco and the Bay Area today.

In this episode, Dana is joined by four of her fellow volunteers who've become like a second family for one another. They talk about meeting through their volunteer work and what it means to them, as individuals and as a group.

We recorded this podcast in Bernal Heights in May 2019.

L–R: Jill Morrison, Lynn Wilkinson, Darryl Forman and Romo, Craig Smith, Dana Dawson, and Robert Pucci. Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Project Open Hand, which today feeds more than 2,500 sick and dying people, started in 1985 when Ruth Brinker made meals for her friends and neighbors who were "wasting" from AIDS. In this podcast, POH volunteer Dana Dawson takes us through that history, talking about how the operation that started in a residential home today serves healthy meals and groceries with the help of more than 125 volunteers like herself.

Join us Thursday, when Dana and a few of her fellow volunteers will talk about what working with Project Open Hand means to them.

We recorded this podcast in Bernal Heights in May 2019.

Since deciding to stay in San Francisco (see Part 1), Margaret Casey has done a lot—been a poet, worked for various event spaces and event production companies, and moved into a houseboat on Mission Creek.

In this podcast, Margaret fills us in on her life since she heard that saxophone in the Panhandle (also in Part 1).

We recorded this episode on Margaret's houseboat, the Battlestar Gloriana, in May 2019.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

​The theft of a Picasso in Australia. Getting framed by an old teacher. Cocaine shipments from South America. San Francisco cults in the 1970s. And someone playing the saxophone in the Panhandle on a random night in the early 1990s ...

All of these things are involved in the story of why Mission Creek houseboat resident Margaret Casey came to San Francisco—and why she stayed.

In this podcast, Margaret, who has owned her boat for a little more than eight years, shares all of these stories and describes the more savory characters around 16th Street and Valencia when she arrived in the city back in the day.

Check back Thursday for Part 2, when Margaret will talk about moving down to the creek.

We recorded this podcast on Margaret's houseboat, Battlestar Gloriana, in May 2019.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Originally known as "Last Gasp Eco-Funnies," the publishing company that Ron Turner and others founded celebrates 50 years next April.

In this podcast, Ron talks about starting Last Gasp with Slow Death, an underground comic that featured art by Greg Irons, among others. Over the years, he's worked other artists, including R. Crumb, Spain Rodriguez, Trina Robbins, and more. Ron also shares stories of hanging out with Timothy Leary and Warren Hinckle.

If you missed Part 1, please go back and listen to Ron talk about growing up in the Central Valley and moving to San Francisco in 1967.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather